Lair of the MinotaurCarnage

After the demise of 7000 Dying Rats, band-mates and Chicago natives Steven Rathbone and Donald James Barraca enlisted Pelican/Tusk drummer Larry Herweg for the ultra-heavy doom/thrash outfit Lair of the Minotaur. Tales spun from Greek mythology provide the lyrical license to kill, and Carnage splits skulls from top to bottom. "Carnage Fucking Carnage starts off with Herwegs blast-beats, after which comes High On Fire-styled pummelling chords; then the song changes tempos like Mastodon to go into a full-fledged doom epic with screamed vocals like Burning Witch; and finally, it reprises said HOF riffage for the big finish. "The Wolf begins with telltale Celtic Frost references before blossoming into old-school thrash not unlike Demolition Hammer. The venerable Saint Vitus rises from the bare-boned guitar intro of "Lion Killer and stays its course throughout, yet "Caravan of Blood Soaked Kentauroi pulls out the more modernised doom grooves of Cathedral and a distant Corrosion of Conformity. The breakdowns of "Enemy of Gods sound like old Obituary, rumbling along like old Asphyx. "Warlord sees Rathbone aping Mike Patton in death-metal mode but with a hardcore influence, and "Burning Temple creeps in like old Winter and right back out again. The demo-quality production detracts a bit from the finished product, but Carnage still comes off as a classy spin on classic doom.
(Southern Lord)